Power system.



O. EBERTH.

POWER SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 28, 1914.

1 1 88, 1 64 Patented J une 20, 1916.

Figl.

- Witnesses:

THE COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH c0., WASHINGTON, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OSCAR EBER'IH, OF CHARLOTTENBURG, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

POWER SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 20, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OSCAR EBERTII, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, residing at Oharlottenburg, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Power Systems, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to power systems and particularly to such systems wherein one or more high pressure units exhaust into a receiver from which steam is extracted for industrial purposes, the excess of steam over that required for industrial purposes being passed on to one or more suitable low pressure units. In systems of this character it is desirable to maintain constant or substantially constant pressure in the receiver and at the points of consumption for industrial purposes, and in systems heretofore used, it has been the general custom to provide a receiver having a fixed volumetric capacity, together with some suitable form of regulating mechanism for maintaining the pressure in the receiver constant. Considerable diific'ulty has been experienced in these arrangements however,

particularly where the quantity required for industrial purposes was subject to repeated variations, or where the load on the machine varied considerably. The regulatingmechanisms used have also been complicated and in many instances where the demand for steam has varied considerably tended to disturb the operation of the system as a whole.

The object of the present invention is to provide a power system which will overcome the difiiculties heretofore experienced in a simple and efficient manner, and which will hold substantially uniform pressure in the receiver as well as at the points of consumption. To this end I provide between the high pressure and low pressure units a receiver having a variable volumetric capacity arranged so as to automatically maintain constant pressure therein and of such size that it will take care of all the fluctuations met with in the ordinary course of operation of the system. I furthermore provide suitable means for taking care of those cases where the demand for industrial steam becomes greater than that which the system can supply under normal operating conditions. 7

Referring to the drawing wherein I have illustrated by way of example certain embodiments of my invention, Figure 1 is a view of a diagrammatic nature showing my complete power system, and Figs. 2 and 3 are modifications.

The high pressure unit 4, here shown as a reciprocating engine receiving its supply of motive fluid by way of conduit 5, has its exhaust connected by a conduit 6 to the receiver 7 Arranged in the supply conduit 5 1s a throttle valve 8 controlled by the speed governor 9 through the governor lever 10, link 11, lever 12 and link 13.

The receiver 7 may take various forms, any arrangement of parts wherein the volumetric capacity may be varied by variation 1npressure being within the scope of my invention. In the drawing I have shown the same as being in the form of a gasometer, the inverted bell 14 of which has its open end closed by the liquid seal 15. Suitable means, as the weight 16, is provided for loading the bell to the desired extent to give the required pressure therein. As shown this weight is made in sections so that it can be varied, the same being held in place by the threaded bolt 17 It will be understood that this illustration is more or less diagrammatic and any suitable arrangement of the gasometer, in case a gasometer is used, may be made.

18 is the outlet from the receiver and has two branches 19 and 20, the branch 19 supplying steam to the auxiliaries for indus trial purposes, while the branch 20 leads to the low pressure unit 20. This low pressure unit may be any type of low pressure prime mover, and is here shown diagrammatically as a low pressure turbine.

With the arrangement as described, it will be understood that should the supply of exhaust steam from the unit 4 increase, or the supply being taken therefrom fall ofii', the pressure in the receiver will tend to increase which will result in the bell 1 1 of the gasometer being raised so as to increase the capacity and therebytake care of the extra supply without increase in pressure. On the other hand, should the supply fall off as the demand increases the opposite effect will take place. In either event, however, the pressure is maintained constant.

If the supply of low pressure fluid furnished by the high pressure unit to the receiver bore a sufiiciently close relation at all times to the demand thereon an arrangement as just described would be wholly satisfactory. It will be evident however that at times the supply of low pressure steam from the high pressure element may decrease to such an extent that under normal operation the same would not be sufficient to supply the amount required by the auxiliaries. To take care of this condition I have provided suitable means controlled by the volume of fluid in the receiver when it reaches a predetermined minimum to automatically cause either the high pressure unit to take more steam, or the supply passing to the low pressure unit to be throttled or both.

Referring to Fig. 1 the lever 12 is shown as being in the form of a floating lever having one end connected to a rod 21 passing through a guide 22 on the side of the gasometer. This rod has a head 23 between which and the bracket 22 is arranged a spring 24 for yieldingly holding the rod in a fixed position. During the normal operation, the lever 12 fulcrums on the rod 21 in response to movements of the speed governor. In case the supply of steam in the receiver falls below a predetermined minimum, an arm 25 on the bell 14 will strike against the head 23 thereby causing the lever 12 to pivot on the rod 11 and open the valve 8 controlling the supply of high pressure steam. As will be obvious, this will increase the supply to the high pressure unit 4 and hence cause a corresponding increase in the supply of exhaust steam. In lieu of this arrangement as described, I may use a form as shown in Fig. 2 wherein in place of having the arm on the gasometer operate to open the controlling valve of the high pressure element I have shown an arm 25 which acts through the rod 21 to operate a valve 26 controlling the supply of low pressure fluid passingto the low pressure element. This rod 21" is arranged in substantially the same manner as is the rod 21, being biased to a normal fixed position by means of the spring 24 As will be obvious the throttling of the supply to the low pressure element will increase the supply avaiL able for industrial purposes.

In Fig. 3 I have shown a further modification wherein both the throttle valve 8 and the throttle valve 26 are affected in case the supply of motive fluid in the gasometer decreases below the predetermined amount. The operation of the arrangement shown in Fig. is substantially the same as that shown in Fig. 1, with the exception that when the arm 25 acts to open the throttle valve 8, it at the same time operates through lever 27 to close the throttle valve 26. This amounts in substance to a diflerential control, and is a combination of the arrangements shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

According to my invention it will be seen that ordinarily the pressure inthe receiver is maintained constant without in any way interfering with the normal operation of either the high pressure unit or the low pressure unit and. that it is only when the supply becomes abnormally low that these units are ajli'ected.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have described the principle of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof; but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative, and that the invention can be carried out by other means.

\Vhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. The combination in a power system of a high pressure unit, a low pressure unit, a receiver, the volumetric capacity of which varies to maintain constant pressure therein, conduits connecting the receiver to the high and low pressure units, an extraction conduit communicating with the receiver, a valve mechanism for controlling the supply of motive fluid to the high pressure unit, a speed governor for regulating it, a valve mechanism for throttling the supply of low pressur motive fluid to the low pres sure unit, and means operated when the volumetric capacity of the receiver reaches a predetermined low value for modifying the action of the speed governor on the high pressure valve mechanism and throttling the valve mechanism controlling the supply to the low pressure unit.

' 2. The combination in a power system, of a high pressure unit, a low pressure unit, a receiver, the volumetric capacity of which varies to maintain constant pressure therein, conduits connecting the receiver to the high and low pressure units,-an extraction conduit communicating with the receiver, and means operated when the volumetric capacity of the receiver reaches a certain low value for increasing the supply of fluid to the high pressure unit.

3. The combination in a power system, of a high pressure unit, a low pressure unit, a receiver, the volumetric capacity of which varies to maintain constant pressure therein, conduits connecting the receiver to the high and low pressure units, an extraction conduit communicating with the receiver, and means operated when the volumetric capacity of the receiver reaches a certain low value for increasing the supply of fluid to thehigh pressure unit and throttling the supply to the low pressure unit.

4. In a power system, the combination 0 a high pressure unit, a receiver, the volumetric-capacity of which varies to maintain constant pressure therein, said receiver being connected to the high pressure unit to 10 take exhaust steam therefrom, a plurality of conduits connected to said recelver through which supplies of low pressure steam are drawn off, and means in one of said last named conduits which is operated when the volumetric capacity of the receiver reaches a predetermined low value for throttling the flow 01 steam through it so as to maintain the supply for another of said conduits.

5. The combination in a power system, of a high pressure unit, a low pressure unit, a receiver, the volumetric capacity of which varies to maintain constant pressure therein, a conduit connecting the exhaust end of the high pressure unit to the receiver, a conduit connecting the receiver to the admission end of the low pressure unit, a governor for the high pressure unit, an eXtraction conduit connected with the receiver which takes elastic fluid therefrom in parallel with the conduit leading to the low pressure unit, and means operated when the "volumetric capacity of the receiver reaches a certain low value for throttlingthe supply of elastic fluid to the low pressure unit.

(3. The combination in a power system, of a high pressure unit, a low pressure unit, a receiver, the volumetric capacity of which varies to maintain constant pressure therein, conduitsconnecting the receiver to the high and low pressure units, an extraction conduit communicating with the receiver, a speed governor controlling the supply of motive fluid to the high pressure unit, and means operated when the volumetric capacity of the receiver reaches a predetermined value for modifying the action of said speed governor.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 28th day of February, 1914.

OSCAR EBERTH.

lVitnesses Enron UBnRLnn, Gus'r. HiiLBRooK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

